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Amid the barbeques, trips to the beach or lake, baseball games, birding, and various other reasons to head outdoors as summer nears, thoughts of protecting your skin from the sun can easily fall to the wayside. Here are some tips to prevent getting fried, and your guide to safe sunscreens, and those to avoid (scroll down for the list).

The EPA and FDA recommend limiting your time in the sun, especially from 10-2 when UV rays are strongest. Cover up whenever possible. Use water resistant sunscreen when swimming or exerting yourself. And this one is key: REAPPLY. Specifically, the EPA recommends:

Generously apply sunscreen: about one ounce to cover all exposed skin 20 minutes before going outside. Sunscreen should have a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 and provide protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Reapply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating.

Easy enough. More difficult is choosing a sunscreen from the gobs of products on supermarket shelves. Environmental Working Group aims to make the process easier for consumers with its 2012 sunscreen guide. For a list of what the non-profit deems to be the most effective, least harmful products—and those to avoid—scroll down. For the info on the go, download the app here.

A word on labels: Starting December 2012, new FDA rules will prohibit companies from putting the terms “sweatproof,” “sunblock,” and “waterproof” on sunscreen labels because there's no such thing. Products that advertise “broad spectrum protection” must pass an FDA test. The agency is also considering restricting SPF ratings to no higher than “SPF 50+.“

The group also evaluated cosmetics that promise to shield you from the sun:

Banana Boat Baby Tear Free Sunblock Lotion, SPF 50+Why: Contains retinyl palmitate, a derivative of vitamin A that may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions.

Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Beach & Pool Sunblock Stick, SPF 70Why: Under new FDA regulations, companies will no longer be allowed to label their products higher than SPF 50 because while they may protect from sunburn caused largely by UVB rays, they leave people vulnerable to UVA rays, which can damage skin and possibly increase a person's risk of skin cancer.

CVS Kids Fast Cover Continuous Clear Spray, SPF 50Why: Spray sunscreens not only make it easy to miss a spot, there are also growing concerns that they may damage lungs, which is why the FDA will soon require that they carry labels with warnings including “use in well ventilated area.”

GO!screen Natural Mineral PowderBlock Brush-On Sunscreen, SPF 30Why: “Some brands of loose powder sunscreens contain particles of titanium dioxide, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” when inhaled. Powdered sunscreens may also contain nanoscale and micronized zinc oxide, which can cause lung inflammation and worse,” says EWG’s website. Instead, the group recommends using creams or lotions.

Lavera Baby & Children Sun Screen, Medium, SPF 20Why: While the front of the box claims the sunscreen is “effective immediately,” the side panel warns “apply… 15 minutes before sun exposure.” EWG recommends skipping the claims on the front of the box and instead following the directions and heeding warnings.